A Family Matter
by Skylark Starflower
Summary: When Billy ticks Bart off to the point of tears, Sigurd tries to find out just what happened, and gets more than he bargined for.


Author's note/Disclaimer: I don't own XenogearsAuthor's note/Disclaimer: I   
  
don't own Xenogears. It belongs to Square Soft. Always Square. Never Enix.   
  
^_^  
  
  
  
Yay! My first completed serious Xenogears fic. Whoo! Um, I think I may have   
  
gotten Sigurd just a little OOC. Oops. ^_^ Other than this, I don't think   
  
there's anything else I need to say, so onward! Oh, yeah, Bart Rocks! ^_^  
  
  
  
"A Family Matter"  
  
Written by Skylark Starflower  
  
Started July 20, 2003  
  
Finished July 24, 2003  
  
  
  
  
  
"Young Master? Are you okay?"  
  
Ignoring the voice of his older half brother, Bart brushed past   
  
him and continued to stalk quickly and angrily down the hallway to his room on   
  
the Yggdrasil. Sigurd watched him go, a feeling of worry welling up inside him.  
  
He was about to follow when Citan came walking by.  
  
"Hyuga."  
  
The doctor stopped and turned to the white haired man. "Sigurd.   
  
Would you like something?"  
  
Sigurd shook his head. "Not in particular. I was just   
  
wondering if you knew why the Young Master is in such a bad mood."  
  
Citan shook his head. "I am sorry, old friend, but I do not   
  
know. I was wondering the same myself, actually. He came stomping by me only   
  
moments ago."  
  
"Thank you, anyway, Hy… no, Citan. I'll go see if one of the   
  
others knows." With that, Sigurd headed to the stateroom. Reaching it, he   
  
found Margie and Elly deep in conversation. Hearing the door open, the two   
  
girls looked up. Elly smiled and waved him over.  
  
"Join us, Sigurd?" she asked.  
  
"I would just like to ask if either of you know what has   
  
happened to upset the Young Master."  
  
"Oh…" Margie trailed off and studied her shoes. "He got into   
  
another argument with Billy… it …it wasn't very nice…"  
  
Elly fidgeted. "He probably won't appreciate me telling you   
  
this, but he was in tears when he left."  
  
Sigurd stood motionless for a moment, and then he nodded.   
  
"Thank you." He turned on his heel and walked quickly back out of the   
  
stateroom, heading for Bart's personal quarters. It wasn't far; reaching the   
  
door, he rapped on it twice.  
  
"Go away," came the irritated reply.  
  
"Young Master?" asked Sigurd, "are you all right?"  
  
He received no response.  
  
"I'm coming in, okay?"  
  
Sigurd waited for Bart to say no, but when he received no   
  
response yet again, he touched the panel and waited for the door to slide open   
  
before walking it.  
  
Bart was lying on his back, lengthwise down his bed. His chest   
  
was heaving and his face was flushed red in anger, his one eye closed and his   
  
teeth clenched.   
  
The door swooshed closed behind Sigurd as he walked over to his   
  
little brother and sat down beside him. He could see that Elly had been telling   
  
the truth; Bart's cheek was wet with tears.  
  
"What happened?" When Bart didn't reply right away, Sigurd   
  
thought he wasn't going to.   
  
"Billy was talking shit," Bart mumbled finally.  
  
Sigurd paused for a moment. "What did he say?"  
  
"Don't want to talk about it."  
  
The first mate gave him a look and sighed. "You're acting like   
  
a child, Young Master."  
  
"So what?" Bart rolled over onto his side, away from Sigurd.   
  
"If all you want to do is insult me, Sig, then you can leave."  
  
The white haired man shook his head. "That's not it at all.   
  
Young Ma… Bart, I haven't seen you act like this since you were just a boy." He   
  
noticed the way Bart started when he said his name, but ignored it and   
  
continued. "Now, either you're regressing back to your childhood, or Billy said   
  
some things that really got to you. Considering that the former is probably not   
  
the case, I will assume that it was something Billy said."  
  
"Why should you care?"  
  
"Because I am your brother, Bart." Sigurd's tone was firm, and   
  
he could see Bart stiffen at his words. "I do care, and that's why I want to   
  
know what Billy said that got you this worked up."  
  
Bart didn't reply for several moments, but Sigurd was content to   
  
sit there all night if he had to. He didn't have to wait that long. "…That's   
  
what it's all about, Sig. You're my brother… You've known it all these years   
  
we've been together… every one. And yet… I only find out because of a life or   
  
death situation. Why, Sig? Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Sigurd said nothing.  
  
"It really hurt, you know, to have to find out the truth from   
  
Old Maison. Are you ashamed to be my brother, or something?"  
  
Bart's words stung, and Sigurd shook his head. "No… no, that   
  
wasn't it at all…"  
  
"Then what WAS it?!"  
  
"…I told you… my mother didn't want anyone to know…"  
  
Bart sat up and fixed Sigurd with a steely gaze, his eye   
  
shimmering with tears. "That's bullshit, Sig."  
  
Sigurd blinked. He was surprised to find that Bart's words rang   
  
true. He had been lying to himself; he wasn't keeping the secret for his   
  
mother. Not anymore, now that the king was dead.   
  
Then why? He found himself wondering. I told Old Maison. Why   
  
not my own brother? What was I so afraid of…?  
  
"You know what, Young Master?" he said finally. Bart just   
  
continued to glare and didn't reply. "You are absolutely right. I … don't know   
  
why I didn't want to tell you, but it was not because of my mother. It was the   
  
king she wanted to keep it from, and he was dead. And, as it turned out, he   
  
knew all along, anyway.  
  
"I suppose … I didn't want to hurt you…"  
  
It was Bart's turn to blink in surprise. "Hurt me? Why did you   
  
think that would hurt me? …I …I always wanted a brother or sister… I even   
  
treat Margie like she was my little sister… but it's just not the same."  
  
Sigurd sighed. "Please try to understand, Young Master. I am   
  
the king's illegitimate child. I am also older than you. When I rescued you   
  
and Margie from Shakhan, were you not ready and rearing to be king?"  
  
Bart nodded. "Yeah. So?"  
  
"So, had I told you the truth then, how do you think you would   
  
have taken it?"  
  
Bart started, and then looked down into his hands clasped in his   
  
lap. "…Probably not well."  
  
"You see? I would have been a threat to your throne, and you   
  
wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me. Even if I had explained that I had   
  
no interest in being king, I'm sure."  
  
Bart said nothing for a moment. When he raised his head again,   
  
Sigurd was started to see that he was crying. "But… it's not fair… everyone   
  
knew … except for me. Dad, Old Maison… you… everyone."  
  
"…I know… and… I'm sorry that it had to turn out this way."  
  
Bart shocked Sigurd when he threw his arms around the older man   
  
and started to sob on his shoulder. But it wore off quickly, and Sigurd   
  
returned the embrace and let Bart cry, surprised by the tears stinging his own   
  
eye.  
  
"I love you, little brother," he whispered, running a hand   
  
though Bart's hair, "that you can never doubt."  
  
Sigurd lost track of how long he held Bart as he cried, but he   
  
found he was almost reluctant to let him go when he finally pushed away.  
  
"Bart, what was it that you and Billy were arguing about,   
  
anyway?"  
  
"I don't remember, but I do remember what it was that Billy   
  
said…" Bart trailed off and almost didn't continue. "He… he said that at least   
  
he knew who his family was…" He looked up at his first mate and favored him with   
  
a big smile. "But now I can say the same."  
  
Sigurd nodded, a smile tugging at his own lips. He stood and   
  
walked to the door. "I'll see you on the bridge?"  
  
"Yeah… Oh! And Sig?"  
  
"Young Master?"  
  
"Let's keep this just between us, okay?"  
  
Sigurd laughed. "Of course, Young Master." With that, he   
  
disappeared out the door.  
  
Bart sniffed and wiped at his eye. "I love you, too, big bro."  
  
  
  
The End 


End file.
